This is the city: Los Angeles, California. I work here. I'm an ex-mayor. Los Angeles is a magnet for people from all over the world. Some of them run for public office. Inevitably some of them stray from the golden rule and rule for those that have the gold. That's when I go to work. My name is Yorty. I'm a dead pol.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Hotsheet for Friday

Sunland-Tujunga is the place to be tomorrow at high noon. That’s where Paul Krekorian and Christine Essel will square off in a debate moderated by Fox 11’s Christina Gonzales. Rumor has it, topics will range from CD2 to CD2; red herring, hot air balloons, magic mirrors, and gyroscopes will be confiscated at the door. Find the details here and don’t forget to frequent Joe B’s CD2 Special Election blog for the latest.

And now … the fun stuff. Yesterday, Essel was accused of circumventing campaign finance rules with a rigged independent expenditure. Today, we bring you the countercharge against Krekorian. The synopsis is this: Krekorian cuts checks to consultant Eric Hacopian from his campaign account (some of which being taxpayer money). Hacopian and family then make contributions to Paul4Council, thus getting taxpayer money matched with taxpayer money. As snipers on both sides point out, such games are all too common. It just proves that money is the problem in politics.

Scroll down for Phil Jennerjahn’s interview with Special Assistant City Attorney David Berger. It’s a great read.

Councilmember Paul Koretz wants to see digital billboards come down en massefollowing a ruling by Superior Court Judge Terry Green that LA City acted “beyond the scope of its authority” in allowing CBS Outdoor and Clear Channel Outdoor to proceed with the conversions. Judge Green, however, says challenges must be considered billboard by billboard. The City Attorney’s office is reviewing. City Council is waiting. The two companies, of course, plan to appeal.

32 Comments:

I can't wait until one of these two wins the coveted CD2 seat and becomes the missing member of the Fabulous 15.

Then we'll see some real concrete examples of mediocre leadership (not always an insult in L.A., where the bar is set very low, and more often than not when we face major crises and disasters, our top dogs are on junkets to Asia or campaigning for re-election funds in Florida).

What will the winner in CD2 begin with?

How about hard-hitting legislation to outlaw the stocking of styrofoam cups in Los Angeles grocery stores -- driving up the sales of same in every outlying municipality except the PRs of SM and WH, of course.

Then we'll move onto critical public safety issues like requiring bumper-installed airbags in the FRONT of city vehicles (to protect pedestrians walking at night when Council field deputies are driving home after "staffing" mixers at fat cats' homes).

Next up, a critical "world view" motion -- if this hasn't been covered already, resulting an extremely harsh denunciation from the floor of "whoever" is responsible for ongoing starvation in Darfur (probably our fault, really, sorry, we'll try and do better!!)

Agreed, but this blog has a policy not to engage national issues, which is why they got rid of me--because I like to cover two national issues out of every sixty items and especially think it newsworthy when a sitting American president wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

I will say regarding the massacre that I believe this is going to be a very intriguing investigation that may inform the future of military recruitment. Perhaps it is the sheer duration of the war (now far longer than WWII), perhaps it is the culture of Muslim extremism, perhaps it is the way people of color are treated in the military, and perhaps it is even a psychiatrist's clandestine access to under-tested "happy meds" (which likely also played a role in the Virginia Tech massacre) which will be determined to be the root of the horrific tragedy. The President's advice to reserve judgment until all facts are in is exceptionally prudent at this time of profound national loss.

With every other general news-oriented organ in L.A. bending over backwards to find and interview a locally based third cousin by marriage of one of the shooting victims or some generic cleric to weigh in regarding the shooter, I think the bases are more than well-covered on this one.

1:32 pm, I totally disagree, and I agree with Mulholland. This is a local issue, in that lots of local political types have been saying the most terribly stereotypical things about Nidal Malik Hasan just because he is a Jordanian-American. Did anyone hear the John & Ken show yesterday? It was terrible. They said all these things about the guy just because he was Arab-American.

What this shows is that we need more Arab-Americans in government, because with people in igh positions, other people lose their stereotypes. The only Arab-American I am aware of with any significant/management role is Matt Dababneh, who is Jordanian-American and works for a local Congressman. I can't think of anyone in elected office outside of Michigan, except maybe Congressman Issa.

That means Arabs are way underrepresented. LA is the most diverse place on earth, so it starts with us, and this is a local issue.

6:05, jon ken are idiots who shoot their mouths off for ratings, trying to be obnoxious and riling people up. yes they would accuse this guy of being a terrorist even if he weren't but unfortunately, he was on surveillance video wearing observant muslim dress day before shooting, posted online praises for jihad, gave away his worldly possessions and had expressed opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan along lines of religious objectors.

In this case what seems to have gone awry is that he was NOT taken seriously or listened to enough.

He should not have been deployed to Afghanistan under the circumstances but been declared unfit and perhaps discharged. It might have been the PC tendency to overlook reality that is responsible in this case.

He seems mentally ill, and it's more in the line of the guy from Belize who was struggling academically, alone with distant relatives in South L A, who felt dissed and slashed the throat of the girl at UCLA.

However the Fort Knox case cannot be ruled out as NOT terrorism - a friend was seen leaving the apt. day before when he clared it out, someone never seen before, as he'd never had anyone visit at all. This is a pattern similar to those being revved up to commit a violent act of jihad by someone in the cell. WE DON"T KNOW, and jon and ken should just shut up until we do instead of blaming everyone who's Muslim. They are inciting anti-Muslim paranoia and fear, which includes Sikhs, Hindus.

I think you're right that Muslims should do MORE in many ways to get out into the general community and do good deeds, not just hide and remain insular. That goes for all groups new to the U. S., not yet assimilated.

Everyone should watch Bill O'Reilly. His ratings have gone through the roof because unlike mainstream media is not being politically correct and callling the shooting for what it was and not making the shooter to be a victim of stress. Pleaseeeee. One of the idiot council members last week when Beck was selected and they gave a brief speech, the idiot councilman said now we can focus on issues in Los Angeles and not international terrorism. This is how clueless and dumb they are. Little do they know that we already have terrorists cells in LA, major cells, that police officers have been keeping under survillance for a long time. Some have been invaded by law enforcement but there are so many temples in LA other terrorist cells exist.

This is a total conflict of interest. Lu Parker the Mayor's booty call girl for now has a blog on LA Times. did anyone else notice KTLA where Parker works was the first news channel to air before anyone else the Chief Beck selection? I say BOYCOTT LA TIMES BOYCOTT LA TIMESThat the Times let Mayor Villaraigosa's animal-loving girlfriend, Lu Parker, blog on its website about a Halloween dog costume contest she emceed and that the mayor took part in. And without ever mentioning Parker's special relationship to the mayor.

6:44: WHICH "idiot councilmember" do you refer to, saying that now with Beck the dept. can forget about international terrorism preparation and just focus on gangs? That could be any of them.

Garcetti did say that in a Times editorial, the one by Tim Rutten I think, and he should know better. But they want to take the cops who have been trained at great expense in the anti-terror unit, to work with FBI and other agencies making LAPD's reach actually far greater than what the city pays for, and fold them into the overall LAPD. Like what they've wanted with airport and port police. So they can CLAIM the force is a greater number when it's not, by stripping L A of vital anti-terror preparedness. These short-sighted opportunists choose to ignore that a would-be terror act was STOPPED at LAX recently, as have been others around the city that aren't even reported but they should know about. Guess they'd rather we have our our Madrid train bombing or London tube or 9/11, and THEN wish they hadn't been so petty.

To Beck's credit he IS planning to continue Bratton's focus on anti- terror AND getting rid of DNA rape kit backlog AND gangs. He made that clear in all his interviews, he won't be pushed around by Garcetti and whoever else wants to leave L A exposed to save a few bucks because they blew the money.

Like Bratton he told the Times the obvious, the 10,000 number is the FLOOR, he will continue CompStat, and if the city wants to do more to get rid of gangs they can't cut back, numbers count.

The PPL has to understand that, too, not be so short-sighted in THEIR own way and fight to retain wages even if it means fewer cops than we have now. Of COURSE we'd like both, to have our cake and eat it too, keep the salaries and benefits high to retain top people, but we have to be real.

How did Wendy go from Miss Popularity when she ran to being toxic to those she endorses almost as much as Antonio, Alarcon, Eric or the rest? If Wendy, Eric or Jan Perry or Zine or Nooch or Berger ust because they're fighting the old-timers think ANY of them stand a chance for mayor or to get re-elected they'd better think again, there's mutiny in the air!

Funny that as Wendy and Perry along with dozens of appointed and volunteer officials and board and commission members are being abused, threatened with jail and wacko lawsuits NOT in the purview of the city attorney - who does NOT "have" the office as his private thuggery - by the guy who's supposed to be "their lawyer" even though he ran as their enemy in a confusing way, the people would just as soon hang these two anyway.

Even though the law is on their side and Nooch is acting illegally AS a bully and wildman. It's such a free-for-all anger out there, like people want things to turn into such a horrible low that it can only get better from there.

Essel scored big today, with a calm, reasoned and fair campaign (typical of Shalman) while Paul slid further down the drain with muckraking and mud slinging.Paul's campaign manager should take a look at how Trutanich overcame an Ace Smith hate-campaign to win his place in political history and trounce a failed career politician out of office, most likely forever.Paul's record of lack of accomplishment in Sacramento are worse than Paul Koretz, who barely scraped through in CD5. Once the mailers hit the postal ballots, Paul will be on the rails and going down for the count.A lot of CD2 folks like the idea of an outsider like Nuch in Los Angeles, and the desperate rants of the Kreckorianholes are a sign that they're screwed.If Greuel and Nuch could just drop the ridiculous law suit over paying Laura Chicks bills, they could both get behind Essel and make sure she wins.What do you say Nuch? Kiss and make up with Wendy, and the pair of you can help bring another outsider into City Hall. We really need it.

Loved Berger's comment "There cannot be many who supported Jan Perry's motion who went home that night and didn't spend an hour in the shower trying to wash off the stench of what they sold themselves out for."Since when has anyone in Los Angeles politics had the guts to out Jan Perry for the shill that she is?Berger for Mayor!

9:56's insane rant starts with "calm, reasoned and fair campaign (tpical of Shallman)..." Hey Shallman stop trying to defend your slimy character and campaigns by rewriting truth into fantasy - it's TOO obvious and pathetic! Trutanich is a liar and fraud on every level, as everyone can see and there have never been so many articles and personal expressions of disgust and disappointment at what a bullying thug he is, all about throwing his and Cooley's weight around by misusing the office, just like he always has been but now on a huger scale. And your fantasies about Berger the rightwing nutjob taking over where he leaves off -- go get some therapy and save us an even slimier campaign, if that's possible.